As a proud Indigenous Olympian from the London 2012 Games, Smith said the yarning circle became the heart of Australia’s home away from home in Paris.

“The Australian allotment was the envy of many other countries, and the Australian Olympic Committee really did create a beautiful home for the athlete,” Smith said.

“Welcoming every Olympian into the Village via the yarning circle gave me goosebumps and I had to hold back tears every time. This naturally became the meeting point for sports and athletes to head out to training and competition and often a safe space for athletes to have some time of quiet reflection.”

Stankovic-Mowle, who proudly represented Australia at the Athens and Tokyo Games, said that same connection and belonging continued at the Paralympics, where she supported the athletes as the Wellbeing and Safeguarding Lead.

“The village as a whole was excellent, you could really see the value place on wellbeing through the many initiatives in the village,” she said.

“The Australian allotment really did optimise win well. We felt connected to country and to each other and felt a sense of belonging.  I feel there was a culture of care which created a safe environment allowing our team members to thrive.”

To learn more about sport’s united commitment to win well, visit the HP 2032+ Strategy website.